Examination Technique and Time Management
With Emma and Ethan, Academic Skills Specialist
Key Takeaways
- They answer the question they wish they'd been asked, not the one on the page.
- Reading questions carefully — really unpacking the command word and the topic — is the single most important skill in an exam room.
- Describe asks for detail without analysis.
- Explain wants reasoning — causes or effects.
- Before writing, spend five minutes reading the whole paper and planning your order of attack.
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Full Transcript
Emma: Today we're discussing Examination Technique and Time Management. I'm Emma, and with me is Ethan, our Academic Skills Specialist. Ethan, what do most students get wrong about exam technique?
Ethan: They answer the question they wish they'd been asked, not the one on the page. Reading questions carefully — really unpacking the command word and the topic — is the single most important skill in an exam room.
Emma: What are the key command words students should know?
Ethan: Describe asks for detail without analysis. Explain wants reasoning — causes or effects. Evaluate expects a balanced judgement. Discuss asks you to explore different perspectives. Each demands a fundamentally different response.
Emma: How should students manage their time across an exam paper?
What should learners understand about examination technique and time management?
Ethan: Before writing, spend five minutes reading the whole paper and planning your order of attack. Allocate time proportional to marks — a 20-mark question deserves four times the time of a five-mark one. Watch the clock at regular intervals.
Emma: What should students do if they blank on a question?
Ethan: Move on and come back. Attempting every question — even imperfectly — almost always scores better than spending all your time perfecting one answer and leaving others blank. Partial marks add up.
Emma: For midwifery exams specifically, what kinds of knowledge are typically tested?
Ethan: Application of clinical knowledge to scenarios, legislation and guidelines, ethical dilemmas, anatomy and physiology. Examiners want to see that you can apply knowledge, not just recall it.
How does examination technique and time management work in a healthcare context?
Emma: How do students stay calm under pressure in the exam room itself?
Ethan: Controlled breathing before you start. If anxiety spikes, focus on one sentence at a time. Remind yourself that you've prepared — trust your preparation rather than spiralling into what you might have forgotten.
Emma: Any last technique tips?
Ethan: Leave five minutes to review. Check you've answered all parts of each question — multi-part questions are easy to answer incompletely. A quick scan often reveals a missed instruction worth several marks.